Puolustusvoimat

What employment opportunities do we offer in different fields?

The Finnish Defence Forces employs professionals from various fields, such as engineering, personnel and financial administration, communications, and rescue services.

If you have completed the Non-Commissioned Officer Course (AUK) or the Reserve Officer Course (RUK) and you have a suitable degree for a specific position, you may be eligible to apply, in addition to civilian positions, also for the role of a non-commissioned officer or officer specialist.

See the examples below for more information on field-specific employment opportunities and what our personnel have to say about working in the Defence Forces.

Engineering

The Defence Forces offers several opportunities in the field of engineering, such as:

  • Mechanical engineering-related maintenance, development, and planning tasks in various Services across Finland, for example in the Army, Navy, or Air Force
  • Specialist positions in electronics, mechanics, and fuel and cooling systems
  • Environmental technology-related tasks, such as environmental protection, permit and official matters, and explosives safety

ICT

We offer both civilian and military positions for ICT sector experts, according to each applicant’s competence and interests. In the Defence Forces, ICT experts work in various areas, such as project and cyber tasks, signal processing, research, and IT support.

All military units across Finland need ICT experts. Most of these positions are in the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency, the Shared Services Centre, the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency, and the Joint Systems Centre, which is part of the Logistics Command.

Natural sciences

Many of the Finnish Defence Forces’ units – such as the Finnish Defence Research Agency, the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency, the C5 Agency and the Centre for Military Medicine – provide opportunities for experts in natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, geosciences) and those involved in the research of biological threats.

Healthcare and social work

The majority of the Finnish Defence Forces’ physicians work at our garrison health centres. In addition, we employ physicians who work as specialists and in administrative duties. Our physicians work either as civilians or as officer specialists in the military.

We are also constantly seeking research experts who can help us improve and develop various areas, such as the operational capabilities of our soldiers and our aeromedical and diving medicine practices.

Nurses in the Defence Forces work as garrison field nurses and occupational health nurses, either at our health centres or in the field. Their tasks include providing health care services for regular personnel and conscripts, conducting health examinations, and arranging training in first aid and field medicine. Those aiming for field work must be in sufficient physical shape to be able to operate in demanding terrain and conditions.

We also employ health science professionals for various planning tasks and as sports instructors, physiotherapists, and laboratory workers. In addition, the Defence Forces provides opportunities in tasks related to the development, planning, and implementation of well-being at work and human performance, and we also employ social welfare officers.

Business, administration, and law

The Finnish Defence Forces employs experts in economics and business in all of its brigade-level units across Finland. The majority of these positions are located in the Headquarters of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, Defence Command, and the Shared Services Centre. Most of the employees in these positions are civilians. HR and education administration tasks are part of every administrative unit. Our HR administration features multidisciplinary and multi-level civilian and military duties.

Experts in the fields of education, history, and social sciences are needed in many of the Defence Forces’ units, such as the National Defence University, the C5 School, the Intelligence School, and brigade-level units.

The Defence Forces employs lawyers and legal advisers in many key units, such as the Defence Command, Army Command, Air Force Command, Navy Command, and Logistics Command.

Social sciences and the humanities

We offer opportunities for communications experts in different administrative units across Finland and in the Public Information Division of Defence Command. Our personnel roster includes public affairsofficers, communications experts, and graphic designers. Our language experts work at the Defence Language Centre of the National Defence University, the Finnish Defence Research Agency, and in intelligence activities.

For those with more international aspirations, we offer various international posts, for example at the Defence Attaché’s Offices of Finnish embassies and in NATO-related tasks. We also employ researchers whose focus is on developing the EU’s security and defence policy and strategic operating environment.

Creative industries

Our military bands offer employment opportunities for skilled musicians. The Lapland Military Band, Navy Band, Guards Band, Air Force Band, and Dragoon Band are responsible for military music services. In addition, the Shared Services Centre employs photographers, graphic designers, and producers.